the  CANARY 


alifornia 

jional 

ility 


MARGARET  CAMERON 


BARRY  MCLEAN,  DO  VOL?  THINK  I'D  OFFER  THE  COOK'S 
NIGHT-DRESS  TO   MRS.  BAXTER'"' 


MARGARET   CAMERON 


AND    LONDON 
BROTHERS 

*.    MCMVIII 


Copyright,  1908,  bv  HARPER  &   BROTHERS. 


Published  February,  1908. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

'BARRY  MCLEAN,  DO  YOU  THINK  I'D 
OFFER  THE  COOK'S  NIGHT-DRESS 

TO    MRS.    BAXTER?'" Frontispiece 

HE    MADE    AT   ONCE     FOR    THE    OBJECT 

OF    HIS    QUEST" Facingp.26 

"HEY!  THIEF!  THIEF!  STOP  THIEF!'"  30 

"LET  ME  UP,  YOU  IDIOT!'  HE 

GASPED" 32 

'THERE  REMAINED  FOR  THE  MCLEANS 

NOTHING  BUT  ACQUIESCENCE*'  .  46 

'HIS  RIGHT  DRAGGED  FORTH  SOME 
THING  LONG  AND  WHITE"  ..."  58 


2134S31 


THE 
CAT    AND     THE    CANARY 


THE     CAT 

AND 

THE     CANARY 


IT  was  Monday  evening.  Barry 
McLean  was  sitting  with  his  wife 
and  their  elderly  guests,  the  Baxters, 
on  the  terrace  at  the  Country  Club, 
lazily  sipping  a  cup  of  tea  and  watch 
ing  the  gleam  of  fire-flies  out  among 
the  trees,  when  suddenly  Pauline  im 
paled  him  with  a  glance,  pinning  him  to 
a  consciousness  of  impending  disaster. 

"Eh!"  he  involuntarily  ejaculated. 
"What  is  it,  dear?" 

She  furtively  and  imperatively  sig- 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

nailed  silence,  turning  at  once  to  Mrs. 
Baxter  with  an  animation  that  her 
husband  knew  to  be  artificial. 

When,  presently,  he  left  them  to  get 
the  automobile,  she  excused  herself 
and  followed  him,  clutching  his  arm 
as  they  rounded  the  corner  of  the 
club-house. 

"Barry,  I've  had  the  most  awful 
thought!" 

"What  is  it?" 

"We've  just  asked  those  people  to 
stay  all  night — and  I  haven't  a  fresh 
night  -  dress  to  my  name  that  I  can 
offer  her!" 

"Wh— what!" 

"Last  week  Laurie  poured  a  bot 
tle  of  ink  over  the  laundry  basket 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

and  ruined  two  of  my  very  best 
ones." 

"Little  imp!"  murmured  Laurie's 
father,  secretly  much  entertained  by 
this  feat  of  his  son's. 

"Another  came  home  from  the 
French  laundry  simply  falling  to  pieces 
—I  don't  know  what  those  people  did 
to  it,  but  it's  utterly  past  mending — 
and  two  others  are  in  the  wash.  You 
know  our  laundress  doesn't  come  until 
to-morrow." 

"But — but  you  don't  mean  to  say 
that's  all  you  have!" 

"Yes.  I've  let  my  supply  run  low 
lately  because — oh,  because  I've  been 
so  busy  breaking  up  and  moving  and 
all!  I  haven't  had  time  to  replenish 

[3] 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

my  clothes.  And  besides — the  semi 
annual  sales  come  next  month."  A 
tinge  of  defiance  colored  her  tone,  for 
she  knew  that  her  thrifty  patronage 
of  sales  somewhat  irritated  her  lord. 

"H'mph!"  he  sniffed.  "Well,  what 
are  you  going  to  do  ?" 

"That's  what  I  don't  know!  What 
can  I  do  ?" 

"Haven't  you  anything?" 

"Not  a  thing." 

"Borrow  one." 

"From  whom?  I  don't  know  a  soul 
on  this  side  of  the  river.  If  we'd  lived 
here  a  month,  I  might  have  at  least  a 
bowing  acquaintance  with  my  next- 
door  neighbor,  but — I  can't  very  well 
go  to  perfect  strangers  at  midnight  and 
[4] 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

wake  them  up  to  borrow  a  night-dress, 
can  I ?" 

"No,  I  suppose  not."  In  spite  of 
himself  he  laughed  at  her  plaintive 
tone,  but  immediately  curbed  his 
amusement,  recognizing  her  genuine 
distress.  "Why  not  get  one  from  one 
of  the  maids  ?" 

"The  maids!  Barry  McLean,  do 
you  think  I'd  offer  the  cook's  night 
dress  to  Mrs.  Baxter?" 

A  vision  of  Mrs.  Baxter,  cool,  mirth 
less,  and  exquisitely  fastidious,  crossed 
his  mind. 

"No,  I  suppose  not,"  he  again  re 
plied. 

"Oh,  if  the  washing  were  only  done, 
I  could  iron  one  myself,  at  a  pinch! 

[5] 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

Why  doesn't  our  woman  come  on  Mon 
day  ?" 

"Give  it  up.  I  suppose  it  wouldn't 
do  to  offer  her  my  pajamas  ?  There 
are  those  silk  ones,  you  know."  Her 
glance  shattered  his  suggestion.  "No, 
I  suppose  it  wouldn't  do.  Why  not 
tell  her  ?  Wouldn't  she  understand  ?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  She  lives  by 
clock-work — and  she  never  had  to 
move  a  thousand  miles,  with  a  small 
boy  and  a  sick  nurse!  She  couldn't  un 
derstand, — and  if  she  did,  it  wouldn't 
alter  the  situation,  would  it  ?" 

"No,  of  course  not." 

"Barry,  there  must  be  a  shop  some 
where  within  ten  miles.  Take  us 
home  quickly,  invent  some  excuse  for 
[6] 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

leaving  us,  find  a  shop  and  a  man 
with  a  key  to  it,  and  make  him  sell 
you—" 

"At  this  hour?  It  would  take  half 
the  night.  Besides,  they'd  probably 
think  I  was  drunk  and  have  me  run 
in." 

"Well,  then,  find  a  shop  and  break 
into  it." 

"  Nonsense!  The  thing  is  simply 
to  make  the  best  of  it.  Explain  the 
whole  situation  to  Mrs.  Baxter — 

"Barry,  dear,  I  couldn't  do  it!  If  it 
were  anybody  else — any  other  sort  of 
woman — anybody  I  knew  well — if  she 
had  even  the  vaguest  sense  of  humor 
—but  not  Mrs.  Baxter!  I  could  not 
do  it!" 

[7] 


THE   CAT   AND   THE   CANARY 

"Well,  then,  what  the  deuce— 

"I  don't  know!  I've  got  to  go  back 
to  them.  But  think,  Barry!  Think! 
Somehow  —  someway  —  we've  got  to 
beg,  borrow,  or  steal  a  presentable 
night-dress  for  that  woman,  for  ex 
plain  to  her  I  cannot!" 

The  McLeans  had  entertained  the 
Baxters  at  dinner,  and  subsequently 
the  four  had  taken  a  long  drive, 
through  warm,  moonlit  air,  in  the 
host's  inexpensive  but  reliable  little 
car,  stopping  on  their  way  home  for 
rest  and  refreshment  at  the  Country 
Club,  where  a  business  acquaintance 
had  put  McLean  up  for  a  fortnight, 
hoping  to  secure  him  as  a  member. 

The    dinner,    though    modest,    had 

[8] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

been  perfect,  and  the  drive  no  less  so. 
Under  the  genial  influence  of  the  even 
ing,  Mrs.  Baxter  had  unbent,  until 
Pauline  had  temporarily  forgotten  the 
trepidation  with  which,  scarcely  yet 
settled  in  her  new  abode  or  wonted  to 
her  new  servants,  she  had  anticipated 
the  coming  of  this  critical  elder  wom 
an;  and  in  Mr.  Baxter's  expansive 
mood  Barry  found  cause  for  self-grat- 
ulation.  McLean  had  recently  come 
from  the  West  to  form  a  new  com 
pany,  requiring  a  much  larger  invest 
ment  than  his  own  firm  could  com 
mand,  and  Elihu  Baxter's  capital  and 
Elihu  Baxter's  influence  would  be  alike 
invaluable  to  him. 

The  earlier  part  of  the  drive   had 
[9] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

been  marred  by  the  suppressed  anxiety 
ever  bred  by  the  presence  of  city  guests 
at  suburban  entertainments,  concern 
ing  the  correctness  of  timepieces  and 
the  exact  moment  of  train  departure. 
Encouraged  by  the  gracious  mood  of 
the  visitors,  however,  and  warmly 
seconded  by  his  wife,  McLean  had 
finally  won  the  consent  of  the  couple 
to  remain  over  night,  and  thereafter  no 
cloud  had  dimmed  the  effulgence  of 
his  content  until  he  had  been  trans 
fixed  by  that  glance  from  Pauline. 

Mechanically  he  brought  the  car 
around  and  attended  to  the  comfort 
of  his  party.  Mechanically  he  re 
sponded  to  question  and  comment  as 
they  hummed  through  the  illumined 
[10] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

night,  his  mind  still  busy  with  Pau 
line's  problem.  They  were  within  a 
few  blocks  of  home  when  his  atten 
tion  was  arrested  by  a  sudden  inquiry 
from  Mr.  Baxter,  apparently  apropos 
of  nothing. 

"  By  -  the  -  way,  Mr.  McLean,  have 
you  approached  John  L.  Corson  with 
this  proposition  of  yours  ?" 

"No,"  said  Barry,  instantly  alert. 

"Why  don't  you?" 

"I  have  wanted  to,  but  I  understand 
that  Mr.  Corson  is  somewhat  difficult 
to  interest,  and  I've  not  cared  to  make 
the  attempt  until  I  could  do  it  in  the 
right  way." 

"I  see.  H'm.  You'd  like  to  meet 
him  ?" 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"Very  much." 

"H'm.     He's   going   to   take   lunch 
with  me  to-morrow.    Will  you  join  us  ?" 

"With  pleasure."  Barry's  tone  was 
quiet,  but  his  very  soul  sung  within 
him,  for  here  was  indisputable  proof 
that,  despite  their  brief  acquaintance, 
he  had  won  Elihu  Baxter's  confidence 
and  support.  Men  were  not  lightly 
asked  to  meet  John  L.  Corson.  And 
if,  with  Mr.  Baxter's  help,  he  could 
interest  Mr.  Corson  in  his  project,  his 
mission  in  the  East  would  be  brought 
to  a  successful  issue,  the  new  company 
formed  under  the  most  auspicious  con 
ditions,  and  his  own  future — with  that 
of  his  wife  and  son — would  be  prac 
tically  assured. 

[12] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

"He's  rather  eccentric,  as  I  dare  say 
you've  heard,"  pursued  the  guest. 
"Never  takes  anybody's  estimate  of 
a  man.  Always  forms  his  own — some 
times  in  queer  ways.  You  never  know 
how  a  thing's  going  to  affect  him,  even 
when  it's  funny — and  his  sense  of  hu 
mor  is  one  of  the  keenest  things  about 
him.  I  was  reminded  of  him  because 
I  think  he  lives  somewhere  in  this  vi 
cinity,  doesn't  he  ?" 

"Does  he?  You  see,  we've  been 
here  so  short  a  time,  we  don't  know 
much  about  the  neighborhood." 

"I  believe  he  does.     I've  never  been 

at  his  house,  but  I  understand  he  lives 

in   one  of  these   little  suburbs.     Why 

a  man  with  his  income  should  prefer 

[13] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

a  village  street  to  a  city  house  or  a 
country  place  I  won't  attempt  to  ex 
plain.  That's  a  part  of  Corson's  ec 
centricity.  He's  simple  in  his  tastes — 
very.  Now  there,  for  instance,  is  an 
attractive  place,  but  who  wouldn't 
prefer  fifty  or  a  hundred  acres  of  Long 
Island  or  up  the  Hudson  ?" 

They  were  passing  a  large,  hand 
some  house,  set  between  other  houses, 
and  with  pleasing  but  not  large  grounds. 

''This  must  be  an  honest  neighbor 
hood,"  commented  Mrs.  Baxter  at 
the  moment  that  Pauline  leaned  for 
ward  and  closed  tense  fingers  on  her 
husband's  arm. 

"Why?"  asked  Barry,  swinging  the 
automobile  around   a   corner. 
[H] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"The  washing  is  still  hanging  out 
in  that  back  yard!"  To  their  guests 
Mrs.  McLean's  tone  conveyed  only  the 
surprised  disapproval  of  the  systematic 
housewife;  to  her  husband  it  was  vi 
brant  with  suggestion. 

"Nonsense!"  he  replied,  opposing 
the  undercurrent. 

"But  it  is!  I  saw  it!"  persisted 
Pauline,  tightening  her  grasp.  There 
was  a  surreptitious  movement  of  her 
other  hand,  and  something  shot  from  it 
into  the  street. 

"It  undoubtedly  is,"  affirmed  Mrs. 
Baxter.  "How  can  any  one  be  so 
careless  ?" 

"  Probably  the  mistress  of  the  house 
is  away,"  said  Pauline,  "and  the  mice 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

are  consequently  at  play.  They  ought 
to  lose  something — temporarily — as  a 
warning."  Again  she  pressed  the  arm. 
"Retribution  should  overtake  them." 

"Well,  probably  it  will,  properly  and 
in  due  course,"  responded  McLean, 
adding,  rather  enigmatically,  to  his 
guests,  "Anyhow,  I'm  no  journeyman 
Providence!" 

"Barry,  please  stop!"  cried  his  wife 
an  instant  later,  as  they  veered  into 
another  street.  "I've  lost  my  gloves!" 

He  obediently  slowed  up,  suggesting: 
"You  probably  dropped  'em  on  the 
floor  of  the  car.  We'll  find  them 
when  we  get  home." 

"No,  I  —  I  rather  think  they  went 
overboard." 

[16] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"Oh,  well,  that  being  the  case, 
they're  gone!"  lie  would  have  started 
on. 

"No,  no!  Please!  They're  new, 
I  don't  want  to  lose  them." 

"  But,  my  dear  girl,  we've  cov 
ered  thirty  or  forty  miles  to-night! 
We  can't — 

"I  had  them  just  a  minute  ago,  dear 
—had  them  in  my  hand." 

McLean  turned  in  his  seat  to  scru 
tinize  her,  and  in  her  face  he  read  sup 
plication. 

"I'm  sorry  to  be  a  nuisance,"  she 
wistfully  added.  "I  know  it  seems 
stupid,  but  would  you  mind  walking 
back  to  look  for  them  ?  I  saw  some 
thing  drop  out  just  after  we  turned 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

the  corner  this  side  of — of  the  house 
where  the  washing  was,  just  before 
this  last  turn.  I'm  sure  it  was  the 
gloves." 

"Oh,  well,  get  some  more!" 

"I  can't!  Mamma  brought  them  to 
me  from  Paris.  It  won't  take  five  min 
utes—and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter  will 
humor  my  weakness  ?" 

The  guests  promptly  offered  assur 
ance  of  their  entire  sympathy  with  her, 
and  added  their  request  to  hers  that  a 
search  be  made  for  the  missing  gloves. 

"We'll  wait  here  while  you  walk 
back.  It  isn't  over  half  a  block,  and 
we  couldn't  see  them  from  the  car," 
concluded  Pauline. 

"All  right;  just  as  you  say." 
[18] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

McLean  stepped  down  from  his  seat. 
"  I'll  go  and  look  for  them,  Polly — 
but  I  make  no  promises,"  he  added 
to  her  pleading  eyes. 

"Oh,  I  know  they're  there.  It  will 
be  so  easy — and  don't  you  come  back 
empty-handed!" 

As  he  strode  through  the  deserted, 
shade-checkered  street,  the  skirts  of  his 
long  dust-coat  flapping  about  his  knees, 
he  laughed,  half  in  irritation  and  half 
in  tenderness.  How  absurd  of  Polly 
to  insist  upon  making  such  an  oppor 
tunity  for  him,  or  to  imagine  for  an  in 
stant  that  he  would  take  advantage  of 
it!  He  admitted  that  the  situation  was 
probably  an  awkward  one  for  her,  but 
surely  there  could  be  nothing  very  hu- 
[19] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 


miliating  in  a  frank  statement  of  the 
fact  to  Mrs.  Baxter.  Still,  explana 
tions  were  never  easy  to  Polly.  In 
spite  of  her  four  years  of  motherhood, 
she  was  still  in  many  ways  like  a  child 
herself — a  shy,  wistful,  trusting  little 
child;  and,  remembering  this,  the  heart 
of  Pauline's  husband  grew  very  tender 
towards  her,  and  all  the  irritation  was 
dissolved. 

"Poor  girl!"  he  said  to  himself.  "I 
wish  I  could  help  her!  I  would  if  I 
could — but  I  draw  the  line  at  robbing 
my  neighbor's  clothes-line!"  And  then 
he  saw  the  gloves. 

They  were  lying  a  little  to  the  side 
of  the  broad,  moonlit  street,  and  be 
yond  them,  stretching  straight  before 

[20] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

him,  was  an  alley,  presumably  inter 
secting  the  block  and  certainly  touch 
ing,  at  the  back,  the  place  which  they 
had  seen  and  commented  upon  from 
the  front.  Barry  dropped  the  gloves 
into  his  pocket  and  stood  looking  amus 
edly  down  the  lane. 

"Clever  child!"  he  murmured. 
"Bright,  quick-witted  little  girl!  And 
now — I'll  go  back  and  give  you  your 
gloves." 

Instead,  however,  he  stood  staring 
absently  down  the  alley.  He  knew 
just  what  would  happen  when  Pauline 
found  that  he  had  heeded  only  the  let 
ter  of  her  request.  The  wistful,  child 
ish  look  of  grieved  wonder  would 
widen  her  eyes  for  a  moment,  her  lip 

[21] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 


would  tremble  ever  so  slightly,  and 
then  she  would  laugh  and  begin  talk 
ing  of  something  else.  But  the  hurt 
look  would  linger  in  her  eyes,  and  he 
hated  to  be  responsible  for  it.  Still- 
He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  turn 
ed  to  retrace  his  way  to  the  waiting 
car.  Polly  should  not  have  expected 
of  him  anything  so  absurd,  so  unrea 
sonable,  so  obviously  impossible — and 
there  he  halted,  sharply  confronted 
by  memories  of  more  than  one  occa 
sion  when  she  had  not  paused  to  con 
sider  the  wisdom  of  his  desires.  She 
had  only  to  know  that  they  were  his 
desires,  even  though  she  did  not  un 
derstand  them.  Never  once,  in  any 
crisis,  had  she  failed  him.  This  very 

[22] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

matter  of  entertaining  the  Baxters  at 
this  time  was  an  exemplification  of 
her  cordial  readiness  to  sacrifice  her 
comfort  and  convenience  to  his  wishes, 
and  now — 

"I  wonder—" 

He  strolled  on  around  the  corner, 
where  he  informed  himself  as  to  the 
name  of  the  street,  and  past  the  house 
in  question,  noting  its  number  and  the 
white  gleam  of  linens  hanging  in  the 
moonlight  behind  a  thin  screen  of 
shrubbery,  after  which  he  sauntered 
back  to  his  former  position  at  the 
mouth  of  the  alley.  The  streets  were 
entirely  deserted  and  every  house  was 
dark. 

Taking  out  his  pocket  -  book,  he 
[23] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

searched  through  its  contents  until  he 
found  a  new,  firm  five-dollar  bill,  which 
he  ruminatively  regarded  after  he  had 
replaced  the  flat  little  leather  book. 
Presently  he  broke  into  laughter. 

"Gad!  I'll  make  a  try  for  it,  any 
how!"  he  exclaimed,  under  his  breath, 
thrusting  the  crumpled  bill  into  the 
side-pocket  of  his  coat. 

A  tingling,  predatory  zest  of  advent 
ure,  dormant  these  many  years,  awoke 
and  took  possession  of  him;  and  with 
it,  a  background  for  the  vivid  glow 
of  the  moment,  came  shadowy  visions 
of  certain  orchards  and  watermelon- 
patches  of  his  bucolic  youth. 

Speculatively  he  eyed  the  tall  board 
fences,  as  he  slipped  along  them 
[24] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

through  the  alley,  estimating  their 
height  and  his  own  agility.  The  gate, 
he  decided,  when  finally  he  came  to  it, 
was  not  to  be  trusted.  It  would  prob 
ably  be  locked  and  would  certainly 
creak.  He  had  even  heard  of  back 
gates  which  were  electrically  connected 
with  bells  in  the  house.  Somewhat 
ruefully  he  glanced  from  his  evening 
clothes  to  the  painted  fence,  realizing 
that  he  had  not  dressed  the  part.  How 
ever,  he  slipped  off  the  long  linen  coat 
—first  transferring  the  bill  to  his  w^aist- 
coat  -  pocket  —  and  threw  it  over  the 
top  of  the  fence  to  serve  as  a  partial 
protection  for  his  clambering  knees. 
He  resisted  a  natural  desire  to  remove 
also  his  dinner-jacket,  for  he  foresaw 
[25] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

that  he  might  make  a  hurried  exit, 
and  that  it  would  not  be  desirable  to 
reach  the  haven  of  the  waiting  auto 
mobile  breathless  from  running  and 
without  his  coat.  Whimsically  won 
dering  what  he  should  do  if  there  should 
happen  to  be  a  dog,  he  gathered  him 
self  together,  jumped,  caught  the  top 
of  the  fence,  and  pulled  himself  up. 

"All  serene!"  he  triumphantly  told 
himself.  "No  dog,  no  lights,  no  obsta 
cles—and  a  full  clothes-line!"  There 
upon  he  dropped  softly  into  a  freshly 
spaded  bed  and  made  at  once  for  the 
object  of  his  quest. 

"Ha!  Here  we  are!  Feels  like  a 
cobweb  and  looks  like  sea-foam.  All 
lace  and  embroidery  and  frills  and 
[26] 


"HE     MADE     AT    ONCE     FOR    THE     OBJECT    OF    HIS    QUEST' 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

things.  Surely  this  is  all  right!  Any 
how,  it's  decidedly  the  best-looking 
one.  How  the  deuce  do  I  get  the 
thing?  Oh,  I  see!"  He  pulled  off 
the  clothes-pins  and  took  down  the 
filmy  white  garment,  laying  it  across 
his  arm  while  he  fumbled  in  his  pocket 
for  the  five-dollar  bill,  which  he  pinned 
to  the  line  where  the  night-dress  had 
been.  "That's  by  way  of  being  rent," 
he  chuckled.  "Next  week  this  house 
hold  will  be  astounded  by  the  myste 
rious  return  of  this  article — by  mail 
— from  New  York.  There  you  are! 
Guess  that  will  stick!"  He  pulled 
gently  at  the  bill  to  make  certain  that 
it  was  firmly  secured,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  his  booty. 
[27] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

Perplexed  for  the  moment  by  the 
necessity  of  secreting  it  so  that  it 
should  not  attract  the  attention  of 
their  guests  on  his  return  to  the  auto 
mobile,  its  soft  texture  speedily  solved 
the  problem,  and,  rapidly  unbuttoning 
his  waistcoat,  he  wound  the  delicate 
fabric  snugly  around  him  like  a  belt, 
and  by  dint  of  some  effort  succeeded 
in  rebuttoning  the  waistcoat  over  it, 
reflecting  the  while  that  his  dust-coat 
would  effectually  conceal  any  un 
natural  rotundity  which  might  other 
wise  be  evident  on  the  way  home. 
Once  arrived  there,  it  would  be  a 
simple  matter  to  excuse  himself 
long  enough  to  rearrange  his  ap 
parel. 

[28] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"After  which,"  he  contentedly  con 
cluded,  "it's  up  to  Polly." 

He  turned  to  depart,  but  paused.  In 
his  pockets,  after  some  search,  he  found 
a  scrap  of  paper,  and  on  it  scrawled: 
"Requisitioned  in  the  Queen's  name. 
Return  next  week.'*  This  he  pinned 
carefully  to  the  line  with  the  bill. 

Emerging  from  the  enveloping  drifts 
of  fresh-laundered  linen,  he  was  mak 
ing  his  way  rapidly  to  the  spot  where 
his  coat  lay  over  the  fence,  when  an 
upper  window  was  flung  open  and  an 
irate  masculine  voice  shouted: 

"Hey,  there!     What  are  you  doing  ?" 

McLean  lost  no  time  in  explanation. 
He  leaped  to  the  boundary,  not  even 
glancing  in  the  direction  whence  the 
[29] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

voice  had  come,  set  his  foot  on  the 
lower  girder,  and  jerked  himself  to 
the  top  of  the  fence.  As  he  did  so  he 
felt  his  sleeve  crack  at  the  shoulder, 
but  the  incident  seemed  of  little  con 
sequence  in  that  moment. 

"Hey!  Thief!  Thief!  Stop  thief!" 
Barry  dropped  into  the  alley,  snatch 
ed  his  linen  coat,  and  ran  in  the  shad 
ow  of  the  fences  towards  the  street, 
followed  by  the  piercing  tremolo  of  a 
police  whistle  vigorously  blown. 

In  his  college  days  McLean  had  had 
some  reputation  as  a  runner,  and  he 
was  fully  living  up  to  it  when  he  reach 
ed  the  junction  of  the  alley  and  the 
street  down  which  he  expected  to 
turn.  It  chanced  that  a  man  making 
[30] 


"'HEY!     THIEF!  THIEF!     STOP  THIEF!' 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

equal  speed  down  the  street  reached 
the  same  point  at  the  same  moment, 
and  the  two  came  into  sharp  collision, 
with  the  natural  and  inevitable  result. 
In  falling,  Barry  became  entangled  in 
the  folds  of  the  long  coat,  which  he 
had  hung  over  his  arm,  and  before 
he  could  extricate  himself  and  arise, 
the  party  of  the  second  part  recovered 
his  equilibrium  sufficiently  to  seize 
McLean  by  the  collar  and  bear  him 
again  to  earth;  which  done,  he  planted 
a  firm  knee  on  the  captive's  shoulder 
and  lustily  shouted  to  him  of  the  shrill 
ing  whistle: 

"Hi!  Hi,  there!  Here's  your  man! 
I've  got  him!" 

"What?     Got  him?" 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

"Yep.     Hurry  along!" 

"All  right.     Hold  him!" 

From  the  opposite  direction  floated 
an  inquiring  "honk,  honk,"  which  the 
prostrate  man  recognized  as  addressed 
to  him. 

"Let  me  up,  you  idiot!"  he  gasped, 
struggling. 

"Not  on  your  life!"  replied  a  cheer 
ful  if  rather  breathless  young  voice. 
"Think  I'm  going  to  be  catapulted  to 
the  brink  of  eternity  by  a  chap  of  your 
ilk — lie  still  or  I'll  thump  you! — just 
for  the  fun  of  letting  him  get  away  after 
I've  caught  him  ?  Nixie!  Nimmer!" 

"But  you're  mistaken!  I'm  not — 
not  your  man." 

"No?  You  weren't  leaving  that 
[32] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

glittering  wake  of  police  whistle  be 
hind  you,  I  suppose  ?  Well,  that's  a 
difference  of  opinion  which  we'll  settle 
later." 

"Honk!  honk!"  anxiously  urged  the 
horn,  under  Pauline's  fingers. 

"Let  me  up!  Don't  you  know  a 
man  of  your  own  caste  when  you  hear 
him  speak  ?" 

Voice  and  accent  are  their  own  cre 
dentials,  and  McLean's  captor,  turn 
ing  an  attentive  gaze  upon  his  prisoner, 
eventually  removed  the  knee  of  op 
pression. 

"All    right,"    said    he.     "Get    up. 
But  don't  try  any  funny  business  or 
there'll  be  more  trouble  for  you  right 
away.     Here   comes  your  friend." 
[33] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

From  the  street  on  which  the  house 
fronted  came  the  sound  of  hurrying 
feet,  and  presently,  while  Barry  brush 
ed  himself  off,  recovered  his  hat,  and 
slipped  into  his  dust-coat  to  cover  his 
torn  and  dishevelled  raiment,  they 
were  approached  by  a  corpulent,  gray- 
haired,  heavy-voiced  man,  who  panted 
slightly  from  running. 

"Oh,  hello!"  said  the  young  fellow, 
as  the  other  joined  them.     "I  thought 
that  sounded  like  your  voice!" 
"That  you,  Garrick  ?     Got  him  ?" 
"Yep.     Caught  him  red-handed." 
"I  admit  the  capture,  but  not  the 
rubescence,"    said    McLean,    with    a 
short  laugh.     At  the  words   the  new 
comer    turned    towards    him    sharply 
[34] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

and    in    evident    surprise,    scrutinizing 
him  in  the  moonlight. 

"You  don't  look  like  a  thief,"  he 
said,  bluntly.  "Sure  you  got  the 
right  man,  Phil  ?" 

"Well,  if  you  d  seen  him  sprinting 
down  the  alley— 

"Your  friend  caught  me,  as  I  caught 
him  —  running,"  lightly  interrupted 
McLean,  following  up  his  apparent 
advantage.  "His  greater  agility  in 
recovering  his  footing  explains  our 
present  relative  positions,  which  other 
wise  might  have  been  reversed." 

"Honk?  Honk,  honk!  Honk?"  im 
peratively  demanded  Pauline,  around 
the  next  corner. 

"You're  in  evening  dress!" 
[35] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

"I  was,"  a  trifle  grimly,  "until  I 
met  your  athletic  friend  here." 

"I  don't  think  there  can  be  any 
doubt  about  him,  sir,"  eagerly  ex 
plained  the  youth  addressed  as  Gar- 
rick.  "  He  was  running  like  the 
very — 

"So  were  you,"  interrupted  McLean. 

"Yes,  but  I  was  running  towards 
the  whistle,"  was  the  significant  reply, 
"and,  by  the  same  token,  I  got  what 
was  coming  to  me!" 

"The  man  I  saw  wore  dark  clothes," 
said  the  older  man. 

"So  did  this  one.  He  carried  the 
duster  on  his  arm." 

:'The  only  way  I  could  identify  him 
would  be  by  a  tear  in  the  shoulder  of 
[36] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

his  coat.     I   noticed  that  as  he  went 
over  the  fence." 

"Was  he  in  your  house,  sir?" 
"No.  At  least,  not  that  I  have  dis 
covered.  I  had  just  come  in— been 
playing  bridge  around  at  the  doctor's 
— and  was  on  my  way  up-stairs,  when 
I  noticed,  from  a  window  on  the  land 
ing,  a  suspicious  movement  among 
some  clothes  hanging  in  the  back  yard. 
I  stopped  to  see  what  it  meant,  and  at 
that  moment  a  man  came  out  from 
them.  I  opened  the  window  and  call 
ed  to  him,  and  he  jumped  the  fence. 
Then  I  blew  the  whistle." 

"  I  heard  the  whistle  " — Garrick  took 
up    the    narrative—  "and    thought   it 
came  from  the  street  ahead  there,  so 
[37] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

I  was  making  tracks  for  the  scene, 
when  this  chap  came  flying  out  of  the 
alley,  caught  me  amidships,  and  we 
both  went  down.  Now,  what  were 
you  doing  ?" 

"  Ho-onk!  Ho-onk!  Ho-onk,  honk, 
honk!"  wailed  the  horn. 

"My  automobile  is  around  the  cor 
ner  there,"  replied  McLean,  "with  my 
wife  and  some  guests  who  have  been 
dining  with  us.  My  wife  missed  her 
gloves,  and  I  came  back  to  look  for 
them.  I  heard  the  whistle,  and  not 
caring  to  get  mixed  up  in  a  scrap — 
and  knowing  that  my  friends  would 
naturally  be  somewhat  alarmed  by 
the  sound  of  a  police  whistle  com 
ing  from  this  direction — I  decided  to 
[38] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

get  back  to  them  as  quickly  as  pos 
sible." 

"Well,  you  were  making  good  time!" 
dryly  commented  his  captor. 

"Down  a  blind  alley,"  the  third 
man  added.  "This  doesn't  go  through 
to  the  next  street." 

"  Looking  for  his  wife's  gloves,  drop 
ped  from  an  automobile,"  supplement 
ed  Garrick. 

"Oh,  I  found  the  gloves." 

"Quite  so."  The  householder's  de 
cision  was  evidently  formed.  "Well, 
my  interesting  friend,  we'll  just  turn 
you  over  to  the  police  and  let  them  see 
what  else  you  'found'  down  that 
alley."  McLean  opened  his  lips  to 
speak,  but  the  other  checked  him  with 
[39] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

a  gesture.  "I  admit  that  you  don't 
look  like  a  thief,  but  somehow,"  quiz 
zically,  "you  haven't  exactly  the  as 
pect  of  maligned  innocence,  either.  I 
imagine  the  cat  that  ate  the  canary 
looked  something  as  you  do  when  he 
was  discovered." 

"Honk!     Honk!     Honk!" 

The  lights  of  an  automobile  circled 
around  the  corner  and  the  machine 
bore  down  upon  the  group. 

"I  suppose  that's  your  car,"  ironi 
cally  inquired  Garrick. 

"It  is,"  replied  McLean,  between 
his  teeth;  "my  car — and  my  wife." 

"  Barry  ?  Barry,  is  that  you  ?"  The 
automobile  swung  in  towards  the  curb 
and  stopped. 

[40] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"Yes,  here  I  am.     It's  all  right." 

"Did  anything  happen?  We  heard 
a  police  whistle  and  shouting,  and 
we  were  afraid  that —  Why  didn't 
you  come  back  ?  Mr.  Baxter 
said—" 

"  Baxter  ?"  said  the  man  beside 
McLean,  incredulously.  "Is  that  Eli- 
hu  Baxter?" 

"  Eh  ?"  queried  that  gentleman,  peer 
ing  at  the  standing  group,  whose  faces 
were  in  shadow.  "Why — bless  me, 
this  is  fortunate!"  He  nimbly  hopped 
out  of  the  car  and  joined  the  bewil 
dered  men  on  the  sidewalk,  warmly 
shaking  hands  with  the  one  who  had 
hailed  him.  "Speak  of  the  —  ahem! 
We  were  just  talking  about  you.  I 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

see  you've  already  made  Mr.  McLean's 
acquaintance." 

"Urn — hardly,"  was  the  rejoinder. 
"We  were  simply  discussing  the — 
er  —  the  occasion  for  all  that  whist 
ling.  You  say  this  is  a  friend  of 
yours  ?" 

"Mr.  McLean  is  a  young  man  in 
whom  I  have  lately  become  very  much 
interested.  I've  just  arranged  to  have 
him  take  lunch  with  us  to-morrow. 
This" — turning  to  his  dismayed  host  — 
"as  you  have  undoubtedly  guessed,  is 
Mr.  Corson." 

The  introduction  was  formally  ac 
knowledged,   and   involuntarily   Barry 
closed  his  eyes  as  he  saw  his  new-born 
hopes  go  shuddering  into  chaos,  for  in 
[42] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

Mr.  Corson's  steely  glance  there  was 
no  softening. 

"You've  met  Mr.  McLean  recently, 
you  say  ?"  the  capitalist  grimly  in 
quired. 

"Yes.  He  has  just  come  on  from 
the  West  in  connection  with  some  busi 
ness  which  we'll  discuss  with  you  to 
morrow.  To -night  Mrs.  Baxter  and 
I  have  been  dining —  By  -  the  -  way, 
you've  never  met  my  wife,  have  you  ? 
Come  over  and  be  presented." 

"  I'll  be  going  on,"  quietly  suggested 
Garrick  in  Corson's  ear.  "This  is 
evidently  all  right,  and  you  don't  need 
me  any  longer." 

"I  am  not  sure  about  that,"  was  the 
low  reply.  "It's  up  to  somebody  to 
[43] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

explain  or  apologize — and  it  may  be 
us."  His  tone  was  sceptical.  "Any 
how,  you'd  better  stay  and  see  it 
through." 

Accordingly  the  four  men  stepped 
over  to  the  car  and  general  introduc 
tions  followed.  It  was  explained  that 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter  had  been  per 
suaded,  while  driving,  to  remain  over 
night,  and  the  pleasure  of  both  couples 
in  this  unexpected  extension  of  the 
visit  was  duly  dwelt  upon. 

Thereafter,  by  a  few  well-directed 
questions,  Mr.  Corson  satisfied  him 
self  that  his  friend's  acquaintance  with 
McLean  was  limited  and  of  brief  dura 
tion,  and  that  their  relations  were  based 
rather  upon  confidence  than  upon  any 
[44] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

absolute  knowledge  possessed  by  the 
older  man.  When,  therefore,  Pauline, 
vaguely  alarmed  by  a  danger  scented 
but  not  perceived,  suggested  that  the 
hour  was  late  and  that  they  had  best 
be  moving  homeward,  Mr.  Corson  in 
terposed  a  protest. 

"By  no  means!"  he  objected,  a 
strongly  detaining  hand  on  Barry's 
arm.  "I  make  no  promises  for  your 
business  proposition  to-morrow,  Bax 
ter,  but  to-night  I  share  your  interest 
in  this  young  man  to  such  an  extent 
that  I  am  unwilling  to  let  him  out  of 
my  sight  until  I  know  more  of  him. 
Besides,  you've  never  been  in  my  house 
and  you  may  never  be  so  near  it  again. 
My  daughter,  who  is  also  my  house- 
[45l 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

keeper,  is  away  for  the  night,  but  I 
guess  we  can  find  a  bottle  and  some 
biscuits.  Anyhow,  you  must  come  in. 
I  insist." 

Mr.  Baxter,  delighted  by  the  capital 
ist's  interest  in  his  protege,  prompt 
ly  accepted  the  invitation,  and  there 
remained  for  the  McLeans  nothing  but 
acquiescence. 

Arrived  at  the  house,  Mr.  Baxter 
immediately  and  properly  divested  him 
self  of  his  dust-coat. 

"If  you  don't  mind,"  said  Barry  to 
his  jailer-host,  "and  if  the  ladies  will 
excuse  me,  I'll  keep  mine  on.  I — 
I'm  afraid  I'm  not  presentable  under 
neath."  Then,  seeing  the  surprised 
glances  of  his  own  party,  he  added, 
[46] 


THERE    REMAINED    FOR    THE    McI.EANS  NOTHING    BUT 
ACQUIESCENCE" 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

nervously:  "About  the  time  that  police 
whistle  went  off,  I  came  into  sudden 
and  violent  contact  with  a  fellow  who 
was  running  at  a  lively  clip,  and— 

"  Barry!  Were  you  hurt  ?"  cried  his 
wife. 

"Not  in  the  least."  He  attempted 
a  reassuring  smile. 

"You  were!  You're  as  white  as 
death!" 

"You're  imaginative,  Polly.  I  was 
not  in  the  least  hurt,  but  he  bowled 
me  over,  and  as  a  consequence  I'm 
pretty  dusty  and  dishevelled,  I'm 
afraid." 

"Never  mind  that!  We'll  make  al 
lowances."  As  he  spoke,  Garrick, 
who  had  been  surreptitiously  brushing 
[47] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

himself  off,  deftly  seized  the  collar  of 
McLean's  coat  and  turned  it  well 
down  over  his  back.  "Ah?"  said  he, 
quietly.  "You  must  have  had  quite 
a  tumble.  Tour  sleeve  is  torn  out  at 
the  shoulder." 

Meanwhile  his  unexpected  action 
had  pulled  the  screening  folds  away 
from  McLean's  figure  in  front,  and 
Mr.  Corson's  alert  glance  lingered  an 
instant  on  the  strange  and  unusual 
bulge  at  the  waist-line  before  sweep 
ing  on  to  Barry's  flushed  and  guilty 
face. 

"Yes,  quite  so."  He  turned  towards 
the  drawing-room.  "We'll  not  mis 
interpret  Mr.  McLean's  very  natural 
desire  not  to  take  off*  his  coat,  under 
[48] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 


the  circumstances.  Will  you  come 
this  way,  ladies  ?" 

"Mr.  Corson,"  desperately  said 
Barry,  "I'd  like  a  moment  with  you— 
to  explain— 

"No  further  explanation  is  neces 
sary,  Mr.  McLean.  We  quite  under 
stand.  And  I  assure  you  your  ap 
pearance  is  irreproachable."  The  tone 
was  entirely  courteous,  but  in  the  cold 
eyes  and  rigid  lines  about  the  mouth 
Barry  read  inflexible  conviction,  and  he 
preceded  the  vigilant  Garrick  into  the 
adjoining  room,  moodily  brooding  over 
thewreck  his  impulsive  prank  had  made. 

It  was  not  that  he  feared  conviction 
or  even  suspicion  of  theft  when  he 
should  have  explained  the  situation 
[49] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

to  Mr.  Corson,  as,  of  course,  he  must 
explain  it  before  leaving  the  house. 
The  five  -  dollar  bill  pinned  to  the 
clothes-line  would  bear  mute  testi 
mony  to  his  honest  intention.  But  it 
was  bitter  irony  that  he  would  have  to 
make  this  explanation  to  this  particular 
man  at  this  time,  not  only  precluding 
the  possibility  of  his  enlisting  Mr.  Cor- 
son's  help  in  carrying  out  the  business 
project  which  was  of  vital  importance 
to  him  and  to  those  whom  he  repre 
sented,  but  reflectively  alienating  Mr. 
Baxter,  who  naturally  would  be  wary 
of  intrusting  his  own  interests  or  com 
mitting  those  of  his  friends  to  the  judg 
ment  of  a  man  capable  of  this  piece  of 
boyish  folly. 

[50] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

Thus  mentally  chafing,  he  still  bore 
his  part,  as  did  his  wife,  in  the  light 
chit  -  chat  around  the  dining  -  table, 
where  they  were  sitting  over  the  beer 
and  cheese  sandwiches  brought  by  a 
sleepy  maid.  But  now  and  again,  in 
the  midst  of  the  laughter,  Pauline's 
troubled  eyes  searched  his  face,  vainly 
seeking  reassurance  and  comfort,  and 
ever  he  avoided  meeting  her  glance. 
Over  and  over  the  situation  turned  it 
self  in  his  mind,  and  he  saw  but  one 
way  out — and  that  way  the  path  to 
failure.  And  like  a  man  sick  of  a 
fever  and  stung  by  a  gnat,  he  tossed 
under  the  thought  that  he  could  not 
now  save  Pauline  from  humiliation  in 
Mrs.  Baxter's  sight. 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

Then,  like  a  meteor,  opportunity 
flashed  across  his  sky. 

The  conversation  had  drifted  from 
automobiling  to  war,  and  from  India 
to  Manhattan  roof-gardens.  It  was 
in  this  connection  that  Phil  Garrick 
asked: 

"Has  any  one  seen  that  fellow  de 
Vigne  at  Prochstein's  ?  That's  a  great 
stunt  of  his!  I've  seen  it  four  times, 
and  I  call  it  black  magic— no  less!" 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  carelessly 
deprecated  McLean.  "Those  juggler 
chaps  seem  wonderful  unless  you  hap 
pen  to  hold  the  key  to  their  mysteries, 
but,  really,  they're  not  so  much." 

"No?"  said  Garrick.  "You  think 
not  ?" 

[52] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

"We  fellows  used  to  do  a  lot  of  that 
sort  of  thing  at  college.  I'm  rather  out 
of  practice  now,  but  perhaps  I  can 
show  you  what  I  mean.  It's  easy  to 
do  things  that  look  impossible — if  you 
know  how." 

He  asked  for  a  pack  of  cards,  and 
the  others  pushed  their  chairs  back 
from  the  table,  the  better  to  watch  his 
very  pretty  exhibition  of  card-throw 
ing,  "just  to  get  my  hand  in,"  he  ex 
plained.  In  reality  it  was  a  device  to 
gain  time  in  which  to  perfect  his  au 
dacious  plan.  Then,  standing  some  dis 
tance  from  the  table,  he  buttoned  his 
coat,  pulled  up  his  sleeves,  and  began: 

"Now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  as  you 
all  know,  I  have  had  no  opportunity  to 
[53] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

make  special  preparation  for  this  ex 
hibition.  I  have  been  among  you — 
one  of  you — all  the  evening,  and  a  man 
does  not  carry  about  with  him  in  the 
ordinary  walk  of  life  the  mechanical 
paraphernalia  commonly  used  by  pres- 
tidigitateurs.  Therefore,  any  manifes 
tations  which  I  may  be  able  to  make 
for  you  here  you  will  readily  recognize 
as  unquestionable  proof  of  the  remark 
able  control  I  possess  over  the  powers 
of  earth  and  air,  rather  than  the  result 
of  any  previous  preparation  or  pres 
ent  illusion.  I  especially  disclaim  any 
supernatural  influence.  What  I  am 
about  to  show  you  will  be  the  nor 
mal  and  natural  result  of  normal 
and  natural  powers  legitimately  used. 
[54] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

Kindly  keep  that  in  mind.  Will  some 
gentleman  in  the  audience  kindly  oblige 
me  with  a  five-dollar  bill  ?  Preferably 
a  crisp,  new  one.  Any  gentleman  ?" 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter  were  frankly 
amused  and  interested,  Pauline's  face 
wore  an  anxious,  puzzled  smile,  and 
Garrick's  eyes  were  suspiciously  nar 
rowed.  Mr.  Corson  sat  at  the  end  of 
his  table,  alert,  unmoved,  courteous, 
and  cold. 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Baxter,"  Barry 
buoyantly  proceeded.  "Now  this, 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  is  a  feat  requir 
ing  the  utmost  skill — the  greatest  cau 
tion  and  concentration.  I  beg  that 
you  will  not  interrupt  me  during  its 
performance" — here  he  addressed  him- 
[55] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

self  directly  and  deliberately  to  Mr. 
Corson — "and  if  I  blunder  in  doing 
it  I  bespeak  your  patience.  The  trick 
is  technically  known  as  'The  Cat  and 
the  Canary." 

For  a  moment  during  the  pause  that 
ensued  the  host's  countenance  re 
mained  unchanged.  Then  a  flash  of 
recollection  woke  the  rigid  features 
to  life,  and  he  leaned  forward  on  his 
elbow,  curiously  watching. 

"Here  you  see  a  five-dollar  bill — 
crisp,  new,  authentic.  Would  you  like 
to  examine  it  ?" 

The  bill  was  passed  around  the  table, 
and   Garrick   furtively   made   a   mem 
orandum   of  its   number  on   his   cuff. 
Mr.    Corson  waved   it   aside,   keeping 
[56] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

his  steady  eyes  fixed  on  Barry,  into 
whom  the  zest  of  adventure  had  again 
entered. 

"Thank  you.  You  have  all  exam 
ined  it  and  know  it  to  be  exactly  what 
it  seems.  Now  I  fold  the  bill  into 
small  compass — thus;  I  place  it  in 
the  palm  of  my  right  hand — -thus  " 
he  closed  his  fingers  over  it— "and  I 
put  my  right  hand  inside  my  coat — 
thus."  The  hidden  hand  seemed  to 
fumble  for  a  moment  and  then  was 
still.  "Now,  by  a  supreme  effort  of 
the  will,  I  am  going  to  transmute  that 
bill  into  something  absolutely  differ 
ent."  He  wriggled  slightly  under  the 
enveloping  coat.  "  Into  something  so 
different  that  there  can  be  no  question 
[57] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

of  any  paltry  trick.  It  will  be  genuine 
transformation.  What  shall  it  be  ? 
Will  this  do  ?  His  left  hand  unbut 
toned  the  coat,  but  still  held  its  edges 
together,  while  his  right  dragged  forth 
something  long  and  white  which  ulti 
mately  resolved  itself  into  a  delicate 
and  beautifully  wrought  robe  de  nuit. 

"Elihu,  I  think  that  is  perfectly 
wonderful!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Baxter. 
"How  did  he  do  it?" 

"You  will  find  the  five-dollar  bill," 
continued  Barry  to  Mr.  Corson,  "pin 
ned  to  the  clothes-line  in  your  back 
yard." 

"Oh!"  gasped  Pauline,  enlightened. 

"By  Jove!"     Garrick  sprang  to  his 
feet.     "May  I  go  and  see?" 
[58] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

Barry  stood  motionless,  his  head 
thrown  back,  smiling  slightly,  and 
steadily  meeting  Mr.  Corson's  keen, 
level  gaze.  It  was  only  an  instant 
that  they  remained  thus.  The  host's 
glance,  into  which  amusement  was 
creeping,  flickered  around  the  table, 
comprehensively  touching  Mrs.  Bax 
ter  and  Pauline;  and  then  he  began 
to  laugh,  a  slow,  chuckling  regurgita- 
tion  which,  once  started,  apparently  he 
could  not  check. 

"Well,  by  George!  That's  a  good 
one!"  he  ejaculated.  "Phil,  go  and 
rescue  that  bill  before  it  blows  away! 
Mr.  McLean,  my  congratulations! 
When  I  am  in  need  of  a  juggler,  I'll 
remember  you.  You're  hard  to  beat! 
[59] 


THE    CAT    AND    THE    CANARY 

The  Cat  and  the  Canary,  eh  ?  I  was 
sure  I  recognized  the  look!" 

"Perhaps  you  know  the  taste  of 
canary  yourself,  sir,"  quietly  suggested 
Barry. 

"Eh?  Well,  perhaps  I  do!  Per 
haps  I  do!"  Again  his  words  were 
submerged  by  a  wave  of  chuckles. 
"Anyway,  I  have  known  the  appe 
tite." 

Garrick  presently  returned  with  the 
money  and  a  slip  of  paper.  The  one 
was  restored  to  Mr.  Baxter;  the  other 
Mr.  Corson  read  and  tucked  into  his 
pocket,  smiling  whimsically  at  McLean 
as  he  said: 

"I'll  keep  this — as  security." 

He  went  to  the  door  and  whispered 
[60] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

lengthy  and  apparently  mystifying  in 
structions  to  the  sleepy  maid,  whom 
they  found  turning  away  from  the 
automobile  when  they  went  out  to 
take  it  a  few  moments  later. 

"  Baxter,"  said  Mr.  Corson,  standing 
on  the  curb  with  a  hand  on  McLean's 
shoulder,  "be  sure  to  produce  this 
young  man  at  lunch  to-morrow.  I 
must  know  more  of  him.  He'll  go 
far!"  Leaning  towards  Barry,  he 
whispered:  "You'll  find  another  ca 
nary  somewhere  in  your  car.  It's  my 
daughter's.  Return  it  at  your  con 
venience.  I  hold  your  note  of  hand." 

Barry  laughed  jubilantly  and  climb 
ed  into  his  seat.  Under  pretext  of 
tucking  in  the  dust-robe,  he  squeezed 
[61] 


THE    CAT   AND    THE    CANARY 

his  wife's  hand,  and  she  flushed  pret 
tily.  She  did  not  yet  understand,  but 
she  saw  that  he  was  elated  and  her 
heart  was  full  of  joy. 

"By-the-way,  Mr.  McLean,"  said 
Mrs.  Baxter,  half  an  hour  later,  "  I've 
been  puzzling  over  the  name  of  that 
wonderful  trick  of  yours.  I  don't 
quite  see  the  connection." 

"Don't  you?"  Barry  smiled  quiz 
zically.  ''  That's  the  way  the  cat  ex 
plained  why  he  ate  the  canary." 

"Oh,  is  it?  But  I  don't  see- 
Anyway,  it  was  wonderful,  wasn't  it, 
Elihu  ?" 

"It  was  clever,"  said  her  husband. 
[62] 


THE    END 


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